nuclear-news

Power from Sizewell C will be more expensive than Hinkley Point, says UK watchdog

 National Audit Office report says consumers will pay higher
amount for energy from Suffolk project compared to its Somerset
counterpart. Electricity from the Sizewell C nuclear project is set to be
more expensive than power from Hinkley Point, even though the Suffolk plant
is cheaper to build, Britain’s public spending watchdog has said.

Sizewell C is on course to cost about 22 per cent less than Hinkley Point
C, which is being built in Somerset. But the latter has agreed to sell its
electricity at a fixed price, limiting the cost to end users because
developer EDF has to absorb any cost overruns.

A National Audit Office
report published on Wednesday estimates that if construction costs are in
line with forecasts of £38bn-£48bn, electricity from Sizewell C will cost
between £131-£155 per megawatt hour in 2024-2025 prices. This compares to
£129 per MWh for electricity from Hinkley Point C.

The government and a
consortium of developers had regularly highlighted that Sizewell C would be
cheaper to build than Hinkley amid concerns about the cost of the project.
But the NAO report says: “Although Sizewell C should cost less to build
than Hinkley Point C, it is likely that consumers will pay more for
energy . . . because the price of Hinkley’s electricity was set
before its cost over-ran (which has been borne by EDF), and the cost of
borrowing has also increased since then.”

 FT 20th May 2026,
https://www.ft.com/content/c3bf8b2d-5f9f-4f3a-bd30-e86bb9a320f2

May 23, 2026 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, UK